Jüri Ratas: three school graduations in one year, "graduations are far more important than birthdays"

Politician Jüri Ratas faces an extraordinary family year in 2026: his three children are graduating from different educational levels in the same year. Ratas is convinced that school graduations are more meaningful milestones in a person's life than birthdays.

Jüri Ratas acknowledges that 2026 is a truly exceptional year for his family, with all three of his children finishing school within the same year.

For his middle son Robin Roger (16), primary school comes to an end, for his youngest son Holger (6), kindergarten concludes, and his daughter Mariell (20) completes her secondary school studies. So many educational milestones at once is a rare occurrence even in a large family.

For Ratas, these moments have always been profoundly meaningful. "Graduations are far more important than people's birthdays," he says, adding that this principle has guided him throughout his life. Birthdays come every year, but graduation marks a unique turning point, one chapter that stays in the past, and a new one that begins.